Fuel octane ratings mislabeled at Aberdeen retailers

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An ongoing state investigation has found that octane ratings have been mislabeled on fuel recently sold in South Dakota, including some in the Aberdeen area.

David Pfahler, director of weights and measures for the South Dakota Department of Public Safety, said he first heard reports of 85 octane fuel being mislabeled more than a week ago. More than two weeks ago, he said, he heard reports of the sale of 85 octane fuel, which is common in the Black Hills, moving east. That was a concern, he said, because he feared it might be mislabeled or that the stations might have a hard time selling 85 octane.

Regular unleaded gasoline generally sold in eastern South Dakota has an octane level of 87. Ten percent ethanol blend is generally 89 octane.

The state investigation found instances of 85 octane gasoline being sold as 87 octane and 89 octane, Pfahler said. It also found instances of 87 octane gasoline labeled as 89 octane, he said.

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While there have been reports of mislabeled gasoline from multiple locations, it's not clear how widespread the problem is, he said.

Improperly labeling the octane level of gasoline is a misdemeanor punishable by as much as 30 days in jail and a $500 fine. But the state's concern isn't filing charges, rather ensuring the practice of selling mislabeled fuel ends.

"My focus is to make it stop," Pfahler said.

Some people feel that a lower octane rating increases what's called engine knock or engine ping. Knocking can occur when there are problems during the combustion process within an engine and for other reasons. It can cause severe damage to an engine. But, according to information from the Minnesota Department of Commerce, octane levels don't damage engines as long as they are at least as high as what's recommended by a vehicle's manufacturer.

Also, according to the Minnesota Department of Commerce, using fuel with a higher octane rating than recommended by a manufacturer should not improve gas mileage, result in quicker starting or increase power.

Like the state of Minnesota does, Pfahler said motorists should check their vehicles' owner's manuals to know what octane level to use when they fill up, he said.

He said it's unclear whether, for instance, gas stations were knowingly mislabeling gasoline or if they didn't realize that they were getting lower-level octane fuel from a distributor.

"We have no way of knowing who is ultimately responsible," Pfahler said.

To see whether fuel is mislabeled, he said, octane labels on fuel dispensers are compared against paperwork service stations have that indicates what type of fuel they have on hand. Within hours of the investigation starting, he said, there were stations that were changing the octane labels on their dispensers.

Pfahler said there is a potential financial incentive to mislabel fuel, but it's not clear that's what happened.

While 85 octane gas is more commonly sold in higher altitudes, Pfahler said, it's questionable whether that's beneficial nowadays. Before the mid-1980s, he said, most vehicles in higher altitudes had less engine knock when they used lower-octane fuels. At the time, engines had carburetors that blended the air and fuel. But vehicles produced since then almost exclusively have fuel-injected engines that, Pfahler said, generally fare better with higher octane levels.

Generally speaking, fuel with higher octane ratings is used in vehicles that have higher-performing engines.

Pfahler said he topped off his tank with 85 octane gasoline and didn't notice any decrease in performance. But he said, that was just a casual observation. He said didn't know if 85 octane gas causes engine problems or lower gas mileage.

He said he will probably tell state inspectors to do more spot checks of octane levels in the future to track any problems.

If the state Division of Consumer Protection were to get a series of complaints about potential damage caused to engines by mislabeled gas, it would likely investigate - especially if the problems were the result of a pattern of action involving the same, for instance, gas station, said Raburn, spokeswoman for the attorney general's office. That office oversees the Division of Consumer Protection. If there were isolated concerns, though, people would most likely be referred to a private attorney, she said.

State law also requires that any gasoline product that is enhanced with ethanol - 2 percent or more by volume - must be labeled as as ethanol, Pfahler said. Not doing so is a misdemeanor. But, Pfahler said, that is not the focus of the current investigation.